Free HIV testing on World AIDS Day

The Center for Wellness Promotion will partner with the Mecklenburg County Health Department on World AIDS Day to provide free HIV testing, educational information and giveaways. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 1, in the Student Union Rotunda. Students, staff and faculty are all welcome at this Wellness Passport event.

Testing will be quick and confidential in a discreet location in the Student Union, noted organizers. Shirts will be provided for all individuals who get tested. As part of the event, there will be a raffle for an AppleTV, a FitBit and Beats by Dre.

Held for the first time in 1988, World AIDS Day is an annual event; it provides people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died.

Nashiria Schoolfield, an intern with the Center for Wellness and Promotion, said, “The goal of World AIDS Day at UNC Charlotte is to raise awareness of resources, disseminate updated and accurate information on HIV/AIDS and increase the percentage of students who have been tested for HIV.”

World AIDS Day is a reminder that HIV is still a pressing issue globally, said organizers. HIV can impact students both academically and socially, while there is no definitive cure, it can be prevented and treated. For those diagnosed, there are treatment options and various resources to allow individuals to live well.

For more information, contact the Student Health Center at 704-687-7400.